Folding table



E. F. MITCHELL.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLLCATION FILED JUNE 9. 1919.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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' INVENTOR. ,Ehyezzajiflz ZckeZZ BY VL ATTORNEYS.

E. F. MITCHELL.

FOLDING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, I919.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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uurrso it STATES EUGENE r. MITCHELL, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

FOLDING Term.

. Speeificationof Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 17, 1920 Application filed .l'une 9, lens. seen n. 302,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE F. Mrr I-IELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at tipokane, in the county of Spokane and State of WVashington, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in, folding furniture. 1 One of the objects of this invention is to} provide a folding table especially designed for outdoor camping use, and in this con nection, it is a featureofthis invention to provide such a table as can benot only folded up but also inclosed in a housing of such compact form that the latterlnay be readily seated on and carried by the running board of an automobile. i It is a further feature ofthisinvention to provide housing sections constructed and arranged in such a novel manner that they will not only function assuch, but will also function when unfolded, as a portion of the table top. f a i A further novel feature consists in pro riding one of the folding units to actas a container for dishes and like eating equipment, the container unit or section being proportioned and arranged to fit within and be iuclosed by said housing sections when the latter are united in closed or, folded re lation. i

A further novel feature consists. in pro viding the container unit with a combined lid and leg supporting device, this device being embodied in asingle structure adapted to function as a conipleteoover for the container when thestructure is closedior folded, and also adapted to support thecon tainer in conjunctionwith other parts of the structure. i x

This invention has many I other objects and features which WilLbeniOre fully de-. scribed in connection with the accompanying drawings and which will bemore particularly pointed out in and by'the appended claims a In the drawings Figure 1, 1s a plan view oflmy improved 1 table structure unfolded to form a table.

Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation thereof. 1 Fig. 3, is a perspective viewshowing the table structure partially folded.

Fig. 4, is a perspective viewshowing the table structure completely folded.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, 1 designates a housing table section united by hinges 2 with a CORP panion housing and carrying section 3. The section 3 has a handle 4 similar to that employed on suitcases and grips, the ends being anchored by fittings 5. Such section 1 15 provided at its free end with a pair of su qportinglegs 6 which areshown pivoted to" d section at 7 and which are adapted tobe folded intosaid section when the. structure s closed. Structuralprovision is.

made for a slight en'dwise slant,of the legs (3, from the vert cahivhen said legs are in a supporting position, as clearly shown in Fig, 2. One element of a fastenlng device 8, 1s

mounted on the end 9, or end wall 9, of sec- M011 1. SQOtlOIl 3 has supporting legs 10 which are likewise foldable into said section and I provide retaining bars 11 to hold said legs 10 in rigid relation with section 3. The bars 11 are Jivoted to section 31 at 12, and the free en s ofsaid bars are notched at 13 to be engaged with studs 'l l on squarely in the direction of their length. This arrangement permits of me making thelegs 1Uof lighter material although perhaps of better qualitythan legs 6.

When the sections 1 and 3 are unfolded .andsupported at their ends in a horizontal position, they are prevented from buckling or sagging intermediate of their length by the novel manner in which they are hingedly connected.

As will be seen by axes or the pintles of the hinges J are near the lower margins of the sections 1 and 3 and the leaves ofsaid hinges are mounted upon the .outsides of the adjacent walls of reference to Fig. 2, the

it also imposes the greater load on legs 10 IUD said sections. Above the hinges, nietal abutsecured to the exterior face of wall 17. In

order toprovide a'ti ht fit, the edges of the section?) are rabbete as indicated at 20 to fi Wi hin theledee 2 f ee L wise the wall section 17 is similarly formed, as shown inF 2. On the exterior of the end wall 17 is the companion member of the lOcliiilg Cl Yi Qe which. may be in the form of a loop catch 22 pivoted to a suitable fitting 23 and adaptedit'o embrace the male memberv 1 8, as clearly shown in Fig. at, WllGIl tl16S3C- the' 'latt tions are c'losed. This "device may be additionally provided with 'a key-lock, if de sir d, the'lgey-hole being indicated at 24.

Next referringto improved container unit, as indicated'at' 25, the same consists of a rectangular box having a longitudinal dimension such as'to permit 'it to be folded into section a s snown in Fig. 3, and having a ti nsverse dimension suliiciently reld'uc'ed ith respect to section 3 to permit the legs -to be folded into section 3 in lateral'frelation to the container containerlias a bottomwallQG and the opposite side of the container is open. The depth of the container is proportioned to fit snugly between the sections 1 and 3 when I are folded about said container so "that the parts will not rattle. The walls E27, 2 S1and 29ot the container are suitably grooved to receive adjustable division boards 3Q,"these boards being slidable into the weight of the container 25.

selected-"groovesto partition oilthe interior ofthennit25 Las desired for the reception of "dishes, knives and forks, and other utensils. .Said unit 25 is rigidly secured to the inside fa ce ofend wall 17, as clearly shown in Fig. Qso' that therefore the legs'lO willnot only be 'called uponto support one end of the table proper but likewise a portion of The cont'ain'er 12 5 provided with alid 81 which is hinged thereto at 32, the leaves 33 of the hinges being on the exterior of'the cover 8'1jand the an 28. The cover 31 is de signedand' proportioned to completely close the 'open top vof the container 25' and 'I' desirably providehook eyes 3 1, on the cover, anchhooks on the side walls 27 whereby the co v'ermay be fastened in a closed position while and after the structure is folded 'Itwill be readily understood that in the absence of a cover, the loose equipment in The.

the container 25 would be liable to fall out of the same in the operation oili'oldiug up the structure. Furthermore, inasmuch as the partition walls of the container are rc.-. movable, it is an easy matter to scour out the container and by having the lid, none of the contents of the container could soil the interior of the sections when the structure is folded.

On the inside face 36, of the lid pivoted at 37 an extension leg :28. the cover is opcned downwardly into tical position, as shown in Fig.

ill, is \Yhcn ll Yll' I then the leg will be swung on its pivot inlo projecting relation from the edge 3$) to give the cover 31 the desired length to permit it to function as a supporting leg device for the free or outer end of the container 2 ll hen the cover 31 is folded down onto the containerto close the same. the leg; :18 will be turned on its pivot so as to be disposed within the margins of the cover 31 to permit the latter to close down onto and be fastened to the container 25, as licrein cl'orc described.

By means of this container 25. supported in a horizontal and acccss ibl position when the structure is open, it will be readily seen that the table portion proper. formed by sections 1 and i), will be entirely free to receive thedishes and foml sct for each person withoutbeing encumbered by supply dishes or food to be later served. Thus the table portionproper hasa service capaciti or area greatly in excess of what it would otherwise have, with the same area. it it were not for the container 25. The container 2 n the open position shown. not only functions as a container for the dishes. but it may he additionally utilized as a serving table from which to serve food to the diners. it being readily obvious that boards similar to the division boards may be temporarily laid. upon the tops of walls 27, 2S aml Q9.

fter the cover 31 is closed. then the structure may be tilted over onto its side. as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the container will be swung into section I"), likewise the legs 10. Legs 6 will then be swung into section 1 and thereupon section 1 will be turned into closed and edge-abutting relation against section 3, as shown in Fig. l. The loop 22 having been fastened, the structure is adapted to be carried by the handle 4c in the manner of a suitcase.

A feature of novelty resides in the combination set forth in view of the fact that one of the locking devices is mounted upon the hinged wall li', by reason of the fact that when the locking device 8 and 22.:iro closed, the wall 17 will be securely held closed without necessitating additional and special fastening means therefor which would otherwise be necessary.

It is believed that the novelty and utility tions for folded, legs for supporting said sections in of my invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown and described one speeific form of my lnvention I do not wish to tions downwardly disposed, a container having an open top and hinged to one end of one of said housing sections and proportioned to fit in and be inclosed by said housing sections when the latter are folded into a closed position, a container lid device hinged to that end of said container opposite the points of hinge connection of said container with its housing section and adapted to be adjusted downwardly to form a leg to support the free end of the container in a horizontal position.

2. In a folding table, hollow housing sections for inclosing the structurewhen folded and. said sections being hinged to be closed about the structure or opened to form a table, legs for supporting said sections in an open position to form a table, a container hinged to one section, and a lid device for said container adapted to be adjusted into a supporting position to support the free end of said container.

3. In a folding table, hollow housing seeinclosing the structure when an open position to form a table, an extension unit hinged to one of said sections, and means hinged to said unit to support the latter in extension relation to said table sections, said extension unit being proportioned to fit in and be inclosed by said hollow sections when the latter are closed, and certain of said legs being foldable into said sections in lateral relation to said extension unit.

4. In a folding table structure, hollow housing sections for inclosing said structure when folded and adapted to form a table when opened, legsfor supporting said sections to form a table, a container having an open top and being partitioned off on its interiorto act as a receptacle, said container being hinged to one of said sections and adapted to be folded into the same, a lid for said container for closing the open top thereof, means for fastening said lid in closed relation onto said container to close the latter before the table is folded, said lid being adapted to be folded downwardly into a vertical position to act as a 'leg support for the free end of said container, and an extension leg mounted 011 said lid to engage the ground and coact with said: lid to form an extension leg support therefor.

5. In a folding table structure, hollow housing sections for inclosing the structure when folded and said sections being hinged to each other to form a table when opened, legs for supporting said sections in their table adjustment, one wall of one section being hingedly connected thereto, an extension unit fixed to the inside face of said hinged wall, and a fastening device for looking said sections in closed relation, one member of said locking device being mounted on the outside face of said hinged wall and the other member of said locking device being mounted upon the remaining section, whereby said locking device will not only close the two sections but hold said hinged wall in closed relation against the section to which it is hinged.

In testimony that 1 clann the foregoing as my own, I hereby affix my signature.

EUGENE F. MITCHELL. 

